A collegiette’s hair color says a lot about her, whether she wants it to or not. No matter the color you have now, you may decide it’s time for a change. Before you take the hair color plunge, however, make sure you’ve prepped yourself with the following 3 considerations.
Makeup Mix-up
I learned this one the hard way. When going from as blonde as a Playboy bunny to a peppery ginger red, I realized my makeup made me look completely washed out. In a moment of weakness, and due to a few classmates’ rude comments, I went back to blonde faster than you could say, “poor planning.” It wasn’t that the red was applied poorly, or even that I didn’t like the way I looked with my new hair. I just overlooked how my usual eye shadows and lipstick shades would work with such a vibrant curtain of hair right next to them. Had I simply prepped myself with a different palate of makeup, I certainly would have been able to ease into the shocking difference more successfully. Make sure to stock up on nude shadows and classic black eyeliner at home before changing your color so you can safely play with your new look once you leave the salon.
Clothing Conundrum
We all know that different hair colors look better with some wardrobe choices than others. While hot trends can give you wiggle room, it may be best to stick with certain outfit ‘color schemes’ right after changing your hair. If you’ve taken the plunge to be a golden goddess, avoid dark colors because the fresh breakage from the bleach might leave little micro-hairs on your shirt. If you’re going red and want a positive reaction from onlookers, although pink and red aren’t off limits for redheads normally, stick to contrasting colors like white, black, blue, and yellow for the first few days to make your hair really pop. Lucky for brunettes, they can’t really go wrong.
Regular Routine
When coloring your hair, even if it’s just coloring it differently than you used to, you’ll need to consider how it will affect your daily routine. Blondes typically need a bit more conditioning at the ends to keep any damage at bay, redheads deal with a loss of vibrancy, and brunettes struggle with dandruff show-through. If your issue is breakage, commit to a weekly or bi-weekly conditioning masque and a daily treatment like Schwarzkopf’s Sealed Ends, which you apply to the ends of the hair to keep them from splitting. If you find your hair fades quickly, invest in a good dry shampoo and wear a shower cap to cut down on wash days. Dandruff can be fixed with an anti-dryness shampoo, but beware, because those often cause fading. Instead, stick to a cleansing color-safe shampoo once a week to remove excess oils and flakey skin from your scalp. The more routine you have, the less volatile your hair situation will be in terms of dryness or oiliness.